See our top paddling gear picks in any product category below. Or browse independent equipment reviews and ratings by real canoeists and kayakers to select appropriate, dependable, real world-tested gear for your next paddle.

Recent Paddling Product Reviews

OtterBox 1000

The Otter Box is a low-cost investment that protects high-cost electronic devices and other important items that need to stay dry. This reviewer's first-hand account speaks to the value of owning and using the Otter Box 1000 in the outdoors. 5 STARS for durability and reliability. 3 STARS for recent business decisions (see final section of this review). Picture this true-life scenario... I had just spent several minutes carefully climbing a 50' high pile of breakdown in a Tennessee cave. At the… Full review

Sea to Summit Big River Dry Sack

Sea-to-Summit's 35 liter Big River Dry Bag is a voluminous stuff sack that is good for situations where keeping gear dry is top priority. While this reviewer is pleased with the product, he is left wondering why a bag marketed as “waterproof” cannot be submerged? Note: While I did purchase this product new, I bought it with the CampSaver Gift Card I won from Trailspace in June 2014. Thank you, Trailspace! Now to the review... Testing Parameters: The 35L Big River Dry Bag was used for 8 days… Full review

Perception Carolina 14

My first kayak... Found for $150 on CL and I love it. Still looking for a spray skirt, but otherwise, I've had quite few nice paddles in the south sound with this boat.
It's sturdy, yet easy to maneuver. Full review

Aqua-Bound Sting Ray Carbon

Excellent ultra light paddle with lots of adjustability. Packs down in two pieces, drip rings included, and very little "flutter" when paddling hard. I got this paddle as a present with my kayak for Christmas from my wife. I was used to an aluminum shaft paddle on my last kayak. Immediately I noticed that this thing is light. I thought my aluminum paddle was light. I was wrong! At just over a pound, this paddle is almost non-existent in your hands. It has a positive locking ferrule that has locking… Full review

Seals Sneak Sprayskirt

Perfect for my needs. Great splash protection on moderate paddles and helps to extend my paddle season. I used the Sneak for the first time on a cool 33 degree Black Friday paddle on the Brandywine Creek for 15 miles. I had the normal paddle drips and did a few wave fields with splash onto the deck. Without the sprayskirt I would have been wet. What water that didn't just run off of skirt ran off by lifting the center a bit. I really like the zipper access to the cockpit for drink and snack. Full review

Perception Access 11.5

Very good kayak for anyone from beginners to seasoned veterans. Plenty of on deck space. Lots of cockpit room and deck rigging standard. First impressions: Nice, lightweight kayak. Easy to grab handles at the ends and hand holds in the sides. The handles front and rear are also molded into the kayak so no more handle hardware being pulled through the plastic. They are large and easy to grab and make for excellent tie down points for car-topping. You can easily lift this kayak up and load it on… Full review

Astral V-Eight

Very comfortable and does the job... This is just a little info from our experience that you may not see in reviews of places that sell the Astral PFDs. Being new to kayaking and wanting quality PFDs for mostly summer paddling I liked the description and reviews about the Astral V-Eight. My wife and I tried them on at our local EMS store and found them very comfortable and well made. We bought them and like them very much. I'm 5'5" 185 lbs and the V-Eight does a good job of floating me. They… Full review